WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[realist]

WWW.  My comment was not to stiffle conversation, but merely to point out there is no way at this time to even any kind of reasoned judgement.  The MIAA has two strong teams, and two of the top players in the country, and yes our region has good talent. 
One major advantage our area of the country has is perhaps better h.s. basketball.  a second major factor is the size of the players on the various rosters.  Few schools have many players 6'0" or taller, and to see a team with 6 or 7 players that size is more a mid-west thing. 

[Out_Of_My_Kitchen]

It is a really tough question.  Times like this I wish the NCAA had more money in the budget to allow D3 tournament to run like a D1.  If things were like D1, I would expect at least 2 of the Final Four teams to come from these regions.  

I think another advantage to basketball in this part of the country is the lack of D1 teams in the area.  Towards the East there are many D1 schools.  Towards the Midwest they get spaced out more.  I am not sure if this observation is more perception or fact, but it was a reason I just thought of.

[realist]

OOMK  We have had a running discussion on the recruiting topic on the men's board for many years now.  One factor that comes up quite often is the competiton from the NAIA schools, along with the D2 schools.  If a family is struggling to send kids to college, and athletic $$ are offered it is hard to turn that down.
Many of the kids that Calvin, Hope, and some of the other MIAA schools get it is because of family ties, and what the schools have to offer.
One has to remember that each school decides for itself if it is going to be D1, D2 or D3 or go NAIA.  A major factor in making that decision is the $$ that are involved.  Schools pay a fee to be involved in the NCAA, and the NCAA is the sanctioning body and puts on the tournaments in the various sports.  The way the D1 tournament is structured it comes much closer to being a money making proposition than it ever will be at the D3 level.  D3 has expanded tremendously over the last 20 years as schools have dropped athletic $$ in NAIA to come into D3.  

[WWWRHH]

Realist .....I was joking.  It was a good question and like you I did not have the info to make an informed judgement.  Just wanted to point out that in some circles lack of information would not stiffle a discussion - I am sure there are those that think it has not stopped me on occasion  .

Your height comment brought back a conversation I had in Kentucky a couple of years ago at sectionals.  On Saturday morning an Oglethorp parent approached us (it must have been the fashionable orange designer garments) and asked how Hope ended up with so many + 6 footers and where did a D3 school come up with a 6-3 (Snikkers) and 6-2 (Knox) starting post tandem.   I explained that many of the taller players were at least half Dutch ancestory.  He seemed incredulous that could possibly be a contributing factor.

Calvin and Hope's programs have been strengthened over the years by players that could very well have played at a "higher" level but chose those schools for reasons that go beyond basketball.

[realist]

Calvin's volleyball team last fall had 7 players 6'0" ot taller.  It was a much taller team than this years bball team.  The announcers at the final 8 kept commenting on how tall the team was, and also that fact 6 of the team had gone to the same h.s.

[Dark Knight]

Calvin's volleyball team last fall had 7 players 6'0" ot taller.  It was a much taller team than this years bball team.  The announcers at the final 8 kept commenting on how tall the team was, and also that fact 6 of the team had gone to the same h.s.

There aren't nearly as many schools that offer volleyball scholarships.

What's the tiebreaker rule for home court for the MIAA playoffs?

[northb]

Calvin's volleyball team last fall had 7 players 6'0" ot taller.  It was a much taller team than this years bball team.  The announcers at the final 8 kept commenting on how tall the team was, and also that fact 6 of the team had gone to the same h.s.

There aren't nearly as many schools that offer volleyball scholarships.

What's the tiebreaker rule for home court for the MIAA playoffs?

I think this year it will come down to the school with the best trick shot video.

[jspiii]

Calvin's volleyball team last fall had 7 players 6'0" ot taller.  It was a much taller team than this years bball team.  The announcers at the final 8 kept commenting on how tall the team was, and also that fact 6 of the team had gone to the same h.s.

There aren't nearly as many schools that offer volleyball scholarships.

What's the tiebreaker rule for home court for the MIAA playoffs?

If Calvin & Hope both win today, the tie-breaker is a coin flip. Not sure when that takes place.

[realist]

Calvin  65  Trine 35  Looks like co-champs.

[sac]

Is there live TV coverage of this coin flip?
This is only the 4th co-championship in the leagues 32 seasons.


Hope's now won 4 MIAA titles in a row, and has had their hand on 10 of the last 12.

[realist]

Not sure about the TV coveage, but the Calvin website has the toss later today.  Whatever that means.

[realist]

Almost forgot.  Congrats to Ms. Verkaik on reaching the 1,000 point mark after only two seasons. 

[sac]

Looks like the Knights won the coin toss, miaa.org has them as the top seed.


First Round - Tuesday, February 22
#8 Kalamazoo (4-12, 5-19) at #1 Calvin (15-1, 21-4), 7:30 p.m.
#7 Adrian (4-12, 7-17) at #2 Hope (15-1, 24-1), 7:30 p.m.
#6 Trine (5-11, 7-17) at #3 Saint Mary's (11-5, 18-7), 7:30 p.m.
#5 Olivet (5-11, 6-18) at #4 Albion (11-5, 13-12), 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Thursday, February 24
Olivet-Albion winner vs. Kalamazoo-Calvin winner at higher seed, 7:30 p.m.
Trine-Saint Mary's winner vs. Adrian-Hope winner at higher seed, 7:30 p.m.

Championship - Saturday, February 26
Semifinal winners at highest remaining seed, 3 p.m.

[jspiii]

During senior day at Hope, unless I heard wrong,  the announcer said Carrie Snikkers is playing basketball overseas after graduation.

[wwjjdd]

During senior day at Hope, unless I heard wrong,  the announcer said Carrie Snikkers is playing basketball overseas after graduation.

You heard right.

Also, from the Hope Athletics website:
Coach Brian Morehouse's Dutch are MIAA co-champions with rival Calvin. Both teams finished 15-1 in the conference after splitting their head-to-head games. In a coin toss after the games, Calvin gained the top-seed for next week's conference tournament. Hope's senior class -- Erika Bruinsma, Miranda DeKuiper, Lauren Geers, Rachael Kutney and Carrie Snikkers -- posted an amazing 62-2 record against MIAA opponents during their careers and in home games at DeVos Fieldhouse were 63-0.

There you have it.